Anonymous
Post 05/26/2014 12:25     Subject: Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

NOVATransplant wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We're going to be late (15 min) for this play date. It's at a park I've never been to. DD finished off her snacks without telling me and now we need to make a grocery run. I called the mom to warn her and she said we should just cancel. I said no, it would really disappoint the kids. Her reply was "Whatever."


Oh, you're one of THOSE Moms. Never mind that you're messing this other Mom's schedule up, you think it's OK to blame your DD for running out of snacks. Who is running your house? I think we all know. If your DD is "in charge" of doling out her own snacks and now this whole playdate hinges on the potential disappointment of the kids, well then, you are in for some very interesting teenage years.


Oh, look! Even the transplants are unhinged. You'll fit right in here, "novatransplant"
NOVATransplant
Post 05/26/2014 12:00     Subject: Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

Anonymous wrote:Well, I guess I am in the wrong. She called me back and cancelled.

My kid has a medical condition that means she has to have access to a balanced snack. I prioritized my daughter's health over the plan made so that I could dash into a grocery store to grab something.

If being 15 minutes late to do this is outrageous, I'm glad that I know it now.



HA. If your DD's health was the priority here, you wouldn't let her hoover through her snacks without you knowing it. I'd have cancelled on you too
NOVATransplant
Post 05/26/2014 11:59     Subject: Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

Anonymous wrote:We're going to be late (15 min) for this play date. It's at a park I've never been to. DD finished off her snacks without telling me and now we need to make a grocery run. I called the mom to warn her and she said we should just cancel. I said no, it would really disappoint the kids. Her reply was "Whatever."


Oh, you're one of THOSE Moms. Never mind that you're messing this other Mom's schedule up, you think it's OK to blame your DD for running out of snacks. Who is running your house? I think we all know. If your DD is "in charge" of doling out her own snacks and now this whole playdate hinges on the potential disappointment of the kids, well then, you are in for some very interesting teenage years.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2014 11:03     Subject: Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

We have family who are always late and never bother to call. We have just learned that they will arrive 1/2 late and there is nothing we can do about it. We just deal with the rudeness and get on with it.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2014 10:58     Subject: Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

Anonymous wrote:I feel like I'm letting my child down. She only has snacks. Not special snacks.

Sigh.


It's okay, PP. You can work harder next time and strive for difficult to get, but widely available, and absolutely mandatory to have in the house snacks next time. Just make sure you have your DC tell you when you're out so you will need to get them at in opportune times. I have faith in you!
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2014 22:04     Subject: Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

I feel like I'm letting my child down. She only has snacks. Not special snacks.

Sigh.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2014 22:04     Subject: Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's the special needs trump card. It's ok that I am going to inconvenience you because my kid has mild special needs. The milder the special needs the more it is brought out. I would never begrudge a mom with a kid with moderate to severe needs from being late. My cousin whose kid is nonverbal with severe autism is always on time.


Ever notice how "medical condition" slides out once a poster isn't getting the support they expected?


Oh for Pete's sake. What does it even mater why she thought she'd be 15 minutes late? She needed to stop and get something for her kid. It could have been an antihistamine tablet from CVS for hay fever.


Was saying how it slips out on threads. Who knows if OP used that term with the other mom IRL. My guess is that she did once the other mom didn't immediately sound understanding.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2014 21:56     Subject: Re:Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

I think OP Gets points for being willing to drive 30 minutes away to a playdate. I certainly wouldn't have done so, and certainly not with only 30 minutes' notice. What kind of friend calls you up and says, Hey come over to my town...I have the nicer playground... can be be ready to leave in 30 minutes? Which is essentially what this friend said.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2014 21:55     Subject: Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

Anonymous wrote:I am guessing the woman did not say "Whatever" in a rude way, she probably said something like "whatever works" and the OP drama queen is exaggerating.


Had the same thought. I can see myself saying, "Well, whatever. Either way."
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2014 21:54     Subject: Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's the special needs trump card. It's ok that I am going to inconvenience you because my kid has mild special needs. The milder the special needs the more it is brought out. I would never begrudge a mom with a kid with moderate to severe needs from being late. My cousin whose kid is nonverbal with severe autism is always on time.


Ever notice how "medical condition" slides out once a poster isn't getting the support they expected?


Oh for Pete's sake. What does it even mater why she thought she'd be 15 minutes late? She needed to stop and get something for her kid. It could have been an antihistamine tablet from CVS for hay fever.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2014 21:53     Subject: Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

Anonymous wrote:It's the special needs trump card. It's ok that I am going to inconvenience you because my kid has mild special needs. The milder the special needs the more it is brought out. I would never begrudge a mom with a kid with moderate to severe needs from being late. My cousin whose kid is nonverbal with severe autism is always on time.


Ever notice how "medical condition" slides out once a poster isn't getting the support they expected?
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2014 21:30     Subject: Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

Anonymous wrote:OP made the playdate that day, just an hour ahead. The other mom probably had to juggle some things on her end to make it happen, but did it for her daughter. Then OP calls right back to say she'll be late because she has to stop by a store.

If I had put any additional effort into making it to the playdate myself, I'd also be annoyed, and wonder if OP is going to make it.

I also suspect that OP is one of those people who always. always has one little thing she has to do before she can get to the pre-arranged event, or frequently "has" to cancel due a variety of things most people just call "life," and the other mom had experienced this in some fashion before.


That's not what OP said, though.

OP said this:

"I'm usually over prepared if I schedule things a day or two ahead. The mom called me an hour before to make arrangements so I didn't plan ahead. I started packing a day bag immediately, realized the drawer was empty, notified the mom, and within a few minutes she decided to cancel."
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2014 21:30     Subject: Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

I keep checking back hoping to find out what the special food is - but I fear OP has fled.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2014 21:27     Subject: Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I keep a stash of shelf stable snacks in the car which prevents this from happening.


Same here. We have mini boxes of raises and granola bars stashed in either in my purse and car.

Agree with other poster...why does the play date get cancelled if you are running behind 15 min.? Aren't play dates way linger than thst?


One of the guesses was that OP was already running late and then called her friend to say she'd be 15 minutes later (to do some grocery shopping in a new neighborhood) on top of that. I wouldn't want to sit and wait at the park for someone to show up whenever they felt like it, basically, for a (first!) one-two hour playdate at the park.


Why would you think that? Say they were supposed to meet at the park at 11 am, and OP Knew it was a 30 minutes drive. So she gets ready to walk out the door, gets the kid dressed and shoes on.... so it's 10:30, and she goes to the kitchen to grab a couple high protein snack packs (or whatever it is her kid likes to eat) -- knowing that her kid does better with these fruit/nut snacks, whatever... and sees she's all out. It's 10:30. She's supposed to be there at 11:00. She can stop off at the grocery store and pick something up but realizes that means she's be a few minutes late, maybe 15 -- so she picks up her phone and calls her friend to give her warning, she'll be about 15 minutes late.

Why is this such a big deal? Even if it wasn't to pick up some snack for her kid. What if she was just running a bit late? What if it was 10:30 and her kid had to use the bathroom and that took a while? These things happen. Maybe she went out to start the car, and the battery was dead so she had to get a jump from a neighbor. Whoops -- a little late. Maybe she got caught in unexpected traffic and calls at 10:45 from the Beltway to say "Hey, there's a jam here... must be an accident... I'll bet here at 11:15 instead of 11:00 I hope!"

No big deal. Give a call, let the other parent know you are running a bit late. Why all the anger over it?


Do I think that or did I share what someone had suggested? And someone seems angry about something, but it isn't me.


I was asking why one of the "guesses" was that OP was already running late. People really seem to be jumping to conclusions, maybe based on their feelings of being stood up or waiting around for perpetually late friends.

Someone who calls 30 minutes ahead of time, *aniticipating* they might be 15 minutes late, doesn't sound like a chronically late, rude person to me.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2014 19:59     Subject: Playdate ettiquette (esp. re lateness)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I keep a stash of shelf stable snacks in the car which prevents this from happening.


Same here. We have mini boxes of raises and granola bars stashed in either in my purse and car.

Agree with other poster...why does the play date get cancelled if you are running behind 15 min.? Aren't play dates way linger than thst?


One of the guesses was that OP was already running late and then called her friend to say she'd be 15 minutes later (to do some grocery shopping in a new neighborhood) on top of that. I wouldn't want to sit and wait at the park for someone to show up whenever they felt like it, basically, for a (first!) one-two hour playdate at the park.


Why would you think that? Say they were supposed to meet at the park at 11 am, and OP Knew it was a 30 minutes drive. So she gets ready to walk out the door, gets the kid dressed and shoes on.... so it's 10:30, and she goes to the kitchen to grab a couple high protein snack packs (or whatever it is her kid likes to eat) -- knowing that her kid does better with these fruit/nut snacks, whatever... and sees she's all out. It's 10:30. She's supposed to be there at 11:00. She can stop off at the grocery store and pick something up but realizes that means she's be a few minutes late, maybe 15 -- so she picks up her phone and calls her friend to give her warning, she'll be about 15 minutes late.

Why is this such a big deal? Even if it wasn't to pick up some snack for her kid. What if she was just running a bit late? What if it was 10:30 and her kid had to use the bathroom and that took a while? These things happen. Maybe she went out to start the car, and the battery was dead so she had to get a jump from a neighbor. Whoops -- a little late. Maybe she got caught in unexpected traffic and calls at 10:45 from the Beltway to say "Hey, there's a jam here... must be an accident... I'll bet here at 11:15 instead of 11:00 I hope!"

No big deal. Give a call, let the other parent know you are running a bit late. Why all the anger over it?


Do I think that or did I share what someone had suggested? And someone seems angry about something, but it isn't me.